An emergency Wayne County Commissioners meeting was called last Friday. The Oct. 21 meeting was called to determine how to proceed with shingle placement on the Wayne County Courthouse.
Jerry Berggren, from Berggren Architects met with the commissioner to discuss how to move forward with the shingling. Work has already been done on part of the northeast corner, but some were unhappy with it.
Dist. 1 commissioner, Terry Sievers, said he had received phone calls beginning last week when the shingles were initially put up. He said constituents were calling to complain about the orange colored shingles. In order to receive tax credits for the courthouse restoration project, the Nebraska State Historical Society had to approve the project, including shingle color.
“We’re basically stuck with these colors unless you want to give up your tax credits,” Berggren told the commissioners.
Five different colors of synthetic slate shingles have been approved; a light slate color, dark slate, orange and a brown-green. All colors are historically accurate to colors that would have been available when the courthouse was initially constructed.
When done last week, the shingles were placed on in random order, which was also historically accurate, according to Berggren. He laid out two other potential patterns of color placement so the commissioners could see their options, to either cluster individual colors together or to continue random placement. Berggren said if they commissioners decided to cluster the colors they’d lose at least four days of work and material.
Sievers made a motion to continue to place the shingles in random order. Dist. 2 commissioner Dean Burbach seconded.
The next regularly scheduled Wayne County Commissioners meeting will be Tuesday, Nov. 5 at 9 a.m. in the district court room of the Wayne County Courthouse.
